MIAMI, United States. – Ariel Pestano Jr., 26-year-old Cuban catcher and son of the famous baseball player Ariel Pestano Valdés, arrived in the United States with the intention of continuing his sports career, according to a report from the DPorto Sports LLC Facebook page.
The young receiver He left Cuba almost five months agoafter requesting his release from Cuban baseball in May, and completed his immigration process in Mexico before entering US territory legally.
During his stay in Mexico, Pestano Jr. participated in training with the Cañeros de Los Mochis, champions of the Mexican Pacific League in the 2022-2023 season. Now, in the United States, he will seek to relaunch his sports career once he regularizes his immigration status.
Pestano Jr. participated in six Cuban National Series between 2017 and 2024. During his last campaign, he made a good impression with a .276 batting average, eight home runs and 31 RBIs.
Specialized journalist Francys Romero has praised his “excellent defensive skills” and his ability to hit from both sides of the plate, which makes him a promising baseball player who could continue his career in foreign leagues.
Unlike his father, who was a key figure in the Cuban national team and Olympic runner-up in Sydney 2000, Ariel Pestano Jr. chose to follow in the footsteps of many Cuban athletes who have emigrated in search of better opportunities.
The exodus of Cuban baseball players continues unstoppable. Recently, Serguey Pérez Guillénthe former Cuban baseball player known as “Cuquito”, arrived in Miami due to a family claim.
Pérez Guillén played for more than 10 years with the capital’s Industriales and Metropolitanos teams. As an outfielder, he stood out on these teams and became a pillar of baseball in the Cuban National Series. He was champion with the Industriales in 2006 and 2010, and his sports career culminated in 2013, when many considered that he was still in top shape. During his career in the National Series he achieved a batting average of .301, accumulating 1,240 hits and 613 RBIs.
Also the young Cuban pitcher Andy Quesada Coto, former player of the Matanzas Crocodiles, arrived in Italywith a contract managed on his own with the ASD Catalana Baseball club of the Italian Serie A.
